Hey Folks!
The novel, I mean the moment… okay the novel moment we’ve been waiting for is here! NaNoWriMo—or National November Writing Month—is upon us, and those of us who signed up have committed to writing a grand total of 50,000 words between 11/1 and 11/30. If you do the math, this comes out to approximately 1,667 words each day! Unless you’re like me and the whole clan is coming home for Thanksgiving week… then it’s 2,174 words I need to write daily.
Although we “NaNoWrimers” have signed up, logged in, and are ready to hit the road and earn badges, I thought it would be fun to share here on my blog to stay accountable, So, without further ado, as I sharpen pencils, charge up my laptop, and make gallons of coffee, I wish you all a productive & joyous journey!
November 1st — The Adventure Begins
My Itinerary
Timeline
11/1/22 thru 11/30/22
Trip Length
50,000 words
Destination
A completed first draft of my new novel!
My Strategy
D – design a game plan
My one unchanging priority will be to write everyday… no matter what. I will also make time to adjust my schedule if I need (like shifting days away from Thanksgiving week or doubling up on words for a rainy day). I will aim to work from my writing desk each day, but I will find a change of scenery if I need some fresh inspiration!
D – do set goals
My goal is to achieve my minimum of 2,174 words per writing day. On top of that, if I get behind, my goal will be to not get behind by more than one day!
D – dedicate time to write
For the sake of consistency, I’m gonna shoot for writing at the same time each day in the mid-mornings. That way, if something comes up, I’ll be able to pivot my writing time to the evening.
D – decide what to write
I am committed to writing a first draft of my new novel!
My Tools
Laptop, reading glasses, a big pot of coffee, loads of self discipline, a writing mindset, and FOCUS (okay, and maybe a glass of wine or two).
My Twitter Legend:
👎 – Didn’t write at all today
👍 – Wrote less than my daily word count goal
👌 – Met my daily word count goal
👏 – Exceeded my daily word count goal
🦃 – Thanksgiving week, scheduled time off!
At the end of each day, I will tweet one of these five emojis with #NaNoWriMo and #DailyProgress to check-in and keep myself accountable. Follow my twitter @MJWallace1963 to follow along!
This month I’m definitely counting on my tagline “easier written than said” because I sure can talk a mile a minute. Time to put my money where my mouth is… I’ll catch you you on the flip side!
(check back at the end of the month for an update on my progress!)
November 30th — The Adventure Concludes
That’s a wrap! I hope you enjoyed your “journey” as much as I did! I promised that I would post a brief NaNoWriMo update: I finished strong, just shy of 50,000 words! I DID write consistently and I was able to create new writing practices that helped me hash out most of one novel, write a contest piece, and greatly revise another WIP!
A wonderful aftereffect of this trip is my renewed desire to continue to write daily, write with focus, write well, and write with joy! Therefore, I consider NaNoWriMo 2022 to have been a smashing success, and I sincerely thank everyone involved with putting this event together.
I offer a resounding WELL DONE to you all, and thanks for following along!
MJ Wallace 